Posted on 01/05/2018 12:03:38 PM PST by Drango
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Raising Kentucky’s cigarette tax by $1 a pack has strong support from voters across the state, according to a poll released Thursday and funded by anti-smoking interests.
In all, 69 percent of those surveyed in December said they favor higher per-pack taxes in an effort to reduce smoking and spend the extra revenue on state budget needs.
A majority of residents in all parts of Kentucky back a tax increase, which advocates estimate will generate more than $266 million per year. The support ranges from 61 percent of residents in western Kentucky to 77 percent in the Lexington area.
Released as the 2018 Kentucky General Assembly gets underway, the poll “shows that voters have a clear message for them: address the budget, raise tobacco taxes -- and raise them by a $1 a pack,” Ben Chandler, chair of the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow, said in a press release.
The coalition was formed last fall to promote anti-smoking policies, including higher cigarette taxes and more local smoke-free ordinances in Kentucky. Among its partners are the American Heart Association and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which paid for the poll.
The survey of 625 registered Kentucky voters also found:
79 percent of former smokers back a $1 per-pack increase meant to lower smoking rates and help the state budget, compared with 84 percent of people who have never smoked. Twenty-three percent of smokers opposed it. 73 percent said they support the $1 tax hike if it will prevent 20,000 children from becoming smokers and save $1 billion in health-care costs. Republicans were more likely than Democrats to back the tax increases on cigarettes, although support levels were at least 67 percent among both parties. 80 percent said they supported increasing taxes on cigars, snuff and other tobacco products by the same amount as any cigarette tax increase. READ THE FULL POLL RESULTS
Kentucky State Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, has filed a bill that would add $1 to the price of cigarettes and set aside 90 percent of the new revenue to the state’s Medicaid program in an effort to offset the costs of treating smoking-related illnesses.
Meredith refers to his legislation as a “health care reimbursement assessment,” not a tax.
Make that a 1$ tax on a six-pack, and the same peple will scream.
All you need to know. You work for a polling company, the "anti-smoking interests" come to you office and pay you $25,000 to conduct a poll on smoking taxes. They also casually mention they might have some future work for you, perhaps a long term contract to do polling in multiple states, more money than your company would make in a year...if they are "satisfied" with your performance.
So are you going to give them a result that says people oppose their tax?
“73 percent said they support the $1 tax hike if it will prevent 20,000 children from becoming smokers and save $1 billion in health-care costs.”
While ‘deaths from smoking’ has been overstated for decades now - basically they quote the same number from the 70’s while adult smoking has decreased significantly - studies have shown that smokers are not as big a drag on health care costs because many do die early.
And the common and trite ‘the children are our future’ idea is used for almost any tax where they can bring children into it... teen tobacco smoking has dropped significantly, many choosing other stuff - marijuana or vaping.
A big majority of teens that vape do so with nicotine-free eliquids. They just want to blow big clouds.
Washington State raised tobacco taxes in the very early part of the turn of the Century. Cigarettes are now $8.00+ per pack, the State pledged the money would be used for the health care of smokers, and for smoking cessation programs, and on childrens health care. Within 2 years the money disappeared into the general budget never to be seen again. NEVER believe that higher taxes are for the “general welfare”. They are to fill up the tax pot so politicians can build monuments to their own “genius”.
I’m so glad I don’t smoke.
I will never get cancer.
Never have a heart attack.
Never get any chronic illness!!
Yay!!
Pass the cheeseburger and hold muh beer!
Funny and true!
“Kentucky receives $93 million in tobacco settlement money, funds boost agriculture, health outcomes...
““Since the first payment in 1999, Kentucky has collected over $2 billion under the agreement, and is on pace to collect nearly $3 billion over the first 25 years of the agreement.”
The national “Monitoring the Future” survey found that in 2017, 23.9 percent of high-school seniors reported using marijuana in the 30 days before the survey, while 9.7 percent reported smoking tobacco during that period. The survey found that 16.6 percent had used electronic cigarettes, which can be vaped with marijuana products.
Among sophomores across the nation, 15.2 percent reported using marijuana, 13.1 percent vaping and 5 percent tobacco cigarettes. Among eighth-graders, 5.5 percent reported using marijuana, 6.6 percent vaping and 1.9 percent tobacco.
Nanny State ping
Excise duties should be illegal. Taxes should be straight across the board, not just added onto certain products because some people don’t like them.
Can't speak to Kentucky law. The US Constitution specifically allows excises. "... lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises"
I suppose that Kentucky Burley is no longer king in Kentucky. At one time a substantial party of the economy there was tied to the annual tobacco auctions in Lexington. Cigarettes were about $3 a carton and you could buy a case of Hudepohl beer for a few cents more. (We did have some good parties at UK.)
Well, hell. I hope he finds a way to do the same for AIDS
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